


When Worlds Collide

by Zombeki



Series: When... [1]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Zombie Apocalypse, Fluff and Smut, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-26
Updated: 2015-07-26
Packaged: 2018-04-11 09:54:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4430798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zombeki/pseuds/Zombeki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Rick's wife dies during child birth, she leaves him lonely with two children to look after. But what happens when one day, out of no where, Daryl Dixon turns up in his bed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When Worlds Collide

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, this story was completely influenced by another story I read in another fandom a while ago, but I can not for the life of me remember the name to link you guys. However, I loved the idea and wanted to do it Rickly style :) I hope you all enjoy.

His wife had been dead for half a decade and he was sure his son hated him. Lori Grimes had passed from complications whilst giving birth to his little girl Judith. Poor innocent Judith, who had no idea that Rick wasn't really her father and nor would Rick ever be able to tell her who her real father was, because he never found out himself.

But Rick had done the right thing and stood by his wife. The wife whom he had tried to leave seven months before Judith's birth because he had realised he was gay and that's why their relationship had been dying. But because of Rick coming out to his wife seven months prior to her death, Rick knew Judith wasn't his.

_"Lori, I'm sorry, I know this is a big shock to you but there is no point is lying to ourselves anymore, we've been over for a long time now and I can't help the way I feel," Rick sighed. He was hours deep into an argument with his wife and now he was tired and just wanted it to be over, just wanted her to understand that they couldn't make it work because he liked men not women. But Lori was in denial, she couldn't accept what her husband and the father of her son, Carl, was telling he_

_"Rick you can't leave me, I'm pregnant!" Lori shouted back at her husband._

_"You're what?" Rick was in shock, the surprise of what his wife had just let slip evident all over his face. "How can you be pregnant? We haven't been together like that in a while? For nearly three months, maybe even longer!"_

_"I know Rick, I should have told you sooner! I'm pretty far gone, seventeen weeks," Lori never looked Rick once in the face._

_"You're not showing at all for a small woman who's nearly halfway through her pregnancy?" Rick questioned, his suspicions flaring._

_"I know, it's why I only figured it out so late, I had no idea myself. But I am and we have to deal with that now, we don't have time to worry about your mid life crisis, we have a baby on the way in the next four to five months, we need to prepare!"_

_Rick wanted to scream and shout, but she was right. He had to do right by his wife and unborn child, so he stuck by her side._

_It was safe to say that Rick wasn't the least bit shocked when Judith only turned up two months after Lori had told Rick she was due. Meaning there was no way she was his, she had only been conceived months after Rick and his wife had stopped being intimate with one another._

The last five years had not been easy on Rick or his children. During the last few months of Lori's life she had been hell bent on making Rick feel guilty and ashamed of his sexuality. And now that he was living with the grief of her passing his guilt and shame was only intensified. He never wanted his children to find out about it and so Rick had stayed alone and planned to keep it that way.

Rick couldn't help but hate the way things had gotten but he didn't have enough fight in him to make things change. He could only be grateful that now Carl's looks towards him had changed from hatred and blame to just sadness and disappointment. Rick didn't know which was worse. But most of all he hated that he could see that little Judy just didn't understand, but never the less dealt with that the house was always so quiet, that Carl and Rick barely ever spoke to one another.

Instead his life was made up of routine. He woke up at seven thirty every morning, showered and got into his sheriff's uniform, headed to the kitchen where he made himself, Carl and Judith breakfast and was out the house with them by eight thirty.

After dropping the kids off at school Rick would make it to work on time then spend the day with his same partner, Shane, doing the same patrol route, taking the same lunch break, then leaving the station for five pm on the dot to go pick up Carl and Judith from his late wife's best friend Carols. Once he had got the kids he took them home where he made them dinner.

It was only when they would have dinner that Rick would engage in conversation, but it was always aimed at Judith, knowing he would never get a response from Carl.

"So Judy, did you learn anything new today?" Rick asked, he wanted Judith to know he was interested and that he wasn't just a stone cold empty shell of a man. It was bad enough she had to grow up without a mother, she didn't need a deadbeat dad to top it off.

"My teacher says I'm very good at reading Daddy, she says I'm the best in the class and she gave me a new book to read that the rest of the class haven't yet!" Judith beamed at Rick, clearly proud that she was excelling in her class at such a young age.

"Well done sweetie, maybe you can show me and your big brother how well you can read after we've finished dinner?" And as quickly as the words left Rick's mouth, Carl stood up.

"I'm going to my room,"

Rick just nodded at the teen. He knew there was no point trying to convince him to stay. He had given up on that long ago too.

"Well Judy I would love for you to read to me!" Rick beamed back at his little girl, showing her support.

After Rick had got Judith to read to him, he took her for a bath then bed. Then once all the kids were sorted he headed to his own bedroom where he would either get straight into bed and sleep or take a shower and jerk off.

Being alone was hard for Rick, but he didn't want to make the situation and strain that was already there worse by throwing his sexuality or someone new into the mix. He figured his kids had been through enough.

 

~

 

When Rick woke up the next morning he was too warm, there was limbs everywhere and a face in his neck. In his sleepy haze he had assumed Judith must have crawled in with him during the night, but as he started to slowly come out of his slumber he noticed a number of things.

First, this person was way too big to be little Judy.

Second, this person was very hairy and masculine.

Rick flung himself from the bed. He looked down at the sleeping man he didn't recognise sprawled across his bed.

How did he get there? Who is he? _Why_ was he there?

Rick thought back to the night before, he hadn't been drinking and gone out and picked some random one night stand up. So how has this strange man got in his bed? Rick quietly made his way to his bathroom, hoping that when he was done showering the strange man would have left.

Once he left the shower his bedroom was empty and for this Rick was thankful, maybe he had just imagined him. Trying to keep on schedule Rick got dressed rapidly into his uniform and made his way down to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for this kids like normal.

Only this wasn't normal.

Carl and Judith were already sat around the table, chatting about some silly nonsense to one another and giggling. Rick had never heard that sound in his life. Breakfast had always been silent. When Carl noticed Rick stood in the doorway he smiled towards his father.

"Morning dad!"

Rick was about to throw up. Where had the moody teenager who hated him gone?

"Morning Daddy!" Judith flung her body at Rick's legs as she greeted him. He kissed the top of her head before she sat back at the table. And it was only then he noticed.

The guy from his bed was serving his children breakfast.

"Thanks Pa," Carl said through a mouthful of eggs.

"Thank you Pa," Judith copied her brothers manners, earning a kiss on her head from the strange man.

Rick knew his face was pale, he knew because he was sure he was going to vomit. Who was this man that his kids were referring to as their pa!

"You gonna stand there all day Rick?" The man turned to him with a quizzical look on his face as he put two more played down on the table, tucking into one himself. Rick couldn't help the words that fell out of his mouth.

"Who are you?"

The table went silent. The man looked up at Rick in shock. Carl and Judith looked at each other as though their father had gone crazy.

"Don't be silly Daddy, you know who Daryl is!" Judith laughed finishing her breakfast.

"Kids go get ready for school I just need to talk to Daryl real quick,"

Carl and Judith left the table to their rooms, leaving Rick still stood staring at a very bewildered looking Daryl.

"What's up with you man, you're gonna scare the kids," Daryl said calmly as he tucked back into his breakfast like nothing was wrong. Except everything was wrong. Rick couldn't understand what was going on.

"I don't know who you are but you need to leave my house and stay away from my kids," Rick threatened, his voice dangerously low. Daryl looked back up at him, but this time he looked angry.

"What the hell is wrong with you Rick? I don't have time for one of your sexual fantasies this morning, we all gonna be late as it is!"

Rick almost choked on his own spit.

"Did Shane put you up to this? Cause this is a lousy prank if he did!" Rick questioned, his tone showing his annoyance at his work partner.

"Shane? Rick we haven't spoken to Shane in over a year, not since we found out-"

"Listen, I don't know who you are or what you're doing but I went to sleep alone last night and woke up with you next to me, so I need you to be gone by the time I get home from work and don't come back!" Rick shouted. His patience was wearing thin with whatever it was that was happening.

"Stop saying you don't know me!" Daryl stood up and made his way over to Rick getting in his face. "If you want to break up with me so badly just do it, don't pretend like you got damn amnesia or something! And you could at least tell me what I did for you to just wake up one morning and decide you want rid of me after three years!"

Rick was stunned. This man or Daryl was telling him he was his boyfriend. That they had been together for three years. But Rick didn't want to hear his lies. He thought he would remember something like that.

Daryl continued to stare into Rick's face, like he was searching for something in his eyes. Rick could see what it was he was looking for, the small flicker in Ricks face to confirm what he was saying was a lie, or that Rick didn't believe his own words. But he found nothing.

"Come here," Daryl suddenly clasped onto Rick's wrist leading him into the living room. The room was almost the same, except now it looked lived in. Judith's toys were scattered around but the main difference was the pictures.

Across the room there were plenty of frames holding pictures of Rick and Daryl. Pictures Rick didn't remember being a part of. In some they are just smiling but one in particular caught Rick's attention above the rest. He picked up the frame and studied the photo. It was him and Daryl kissing, only both their eyes are open and so full of love as they look at one another.

Rick slammed it down hard, jealous of himself. He knew this Rick wasn't him. Rick had never looked at someone like that. Not even his dead wife. He looked over at where Daryl was stood. He looked nervous, like he was waiting for Rick to turn around and say he was only kidding and of course he remembers him. But he can't remember, so he didn't.  

"I need to get the kids to school," was all Rick could say in that moment. It was all too much and he needed something from the old life back.

"So that's it? You're leaving me?" Daryl's almost whispered, sounding defeated.

"I told you, I'm not your boyfriend and I don't know you," Rick gestured towards the pictures. "This guy has my face, but not my life. I'm not him," Rick turned to leave, but not without noticing the heartbroken look plastered across Daryl's face.

Carl and Judith were stood by the front door by the time Rick was ready to leave, he had no doubt that they probably heard his and Daryl's conversation from the looks on their faces. He said nothing as he ushered them out to the car.

It was almost like the life he was use to, but then Carl spoke, which was not something _his_ Carl ever did.

"Are you and Pa okay?" Carl sounded concerned for his father and his relationship. But Rick didn't know what to say or do. He was sure he was having some form of a mental breakdown but the last thing he needed was for his children to be afraid of him.

"Everything's fine. Don't worry," Rick tried to smile but he was sure the effort was lost.

"But you told him to leave and not come back," Carl sounded even more concerned, and Rick knew it was because he knew his father was lying to him.

"Like I said don't worry, this man, I mean, Daryl will be there when you get home from school," Carl just nodded his head, clearly hoping that what his father had just said was not another lie. But it wasn't. Clearly some version of Rick lived in that house with his boyfriend and two children, but it wasn't him and he couldn't kick Daryl out because _he_ was the intruder, not Daryl.

 

~

 

When Rick returned home from work with the kids he was hoping that somehow the universe might have shifted and his life might have gone back to normal. But Carl was way too chatty on the car ride home and Rick's hope was slowly fading. Then it was stabbed straight through the heart when he opened his front door to the smell of cooking.

Daryl had dinner on the table ready and the kids went straight to get started on their meal. Rick anxiously crept over to the table, slowly slumping into his seat, taking in all his surroundings. Daryl was talking away with the kids about their day, and at that point Rick was glad he was there to do it because he didn't think his brain could comprehend forming words.

"How was your day Rick?" Daryl asked. Rick could see there was hope in his eyes, hope that the morning had just been a fluke and his real Rick was back with him. But Rick just shrugged his shoulders and watched all hope shatter in the man's eyes. Daryl didn't try to talk to him after that. He just got the kids sorted and went about as though Rick wasn't even there.

Rick decided to head up to bathroom and take a shower. He needed it to wash away everything he was feeling because from that morning there was still one feeling that he had not been able to shift. And that was the jealousy.

This other Rick had everything he had wanted. He had the seemingly perfect boyfriend, and whilst Rick was sure Daryl wasn't someone he would have gone for, he couldn't help but be proud at alternative Rick, because he thought Daryl was one of the most beautiful creatures he had ever seen.

And his kids loved him.

Rick got dressed and made his way downstairs, the kids were in their bedrooms and that left Rick and Daryl alone.

Rick sat flicking through the TV channels trying to find something to take his mind off of whatever it was that was happening. A pair of hands crept around his neck and he felt Daryl breathing into his ear.

"Wanna go to bed early tonight?"

His voice was thick and full of playfulness, and as much as Rick really did want to do just that he couldn't help but flinch at Daryl's closeness and words. He hadn't had someone this close to him in so long it was foreign.

Daryl slowly pulled away from Rick,  then swung himself into the other side of the couch. Rick could see the hurt in his face.

"You still pulling this memory loss crap?" Daryl sneered at him.

"I'm not pulling anything, you have no idea how hard this is for me! I just woke up this morning to a completely different life!" Rick explained, but not without getting upset that he himself could not understand what was truly happening.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have suggested sex to you, I just forgot you're not my Rick," he whispered as he pulled his legs up to his chest.

"I'm sorry, I wish I was but I'm not," Rick sighed, a new hatred building up for alternative Rick.

"Well, I want my Rick back," Daryl snapped as he stormed off to bed alone. Rick slept on the couch.

 

~

 

It had been a few weeks since Rick had woken up with Daryl in his bed. He and Daryl had both started to give up hope that things were going to go back to normal.

He wouldn't have minded but it started to get easy to forget that he wasn't the Rick meant for this world and Daryl would get upset and frustrated every time he accidentally touched him inappropriately or waited for a kiss or a cuddle that would never come.

And as Rick could see Daryl becoming more and more desperate for his Rick to return he couldn't help the selfishness that didn't want him to ever come back.

In this world his kids were happy, Carl actually talked to him. In this world they had two parents to love and cherish them.

To top it off, Rick was sure he was falling in love with Daryl. He was an amazing father to his children whom he loved like his own. He was so beautiful sometimes it hurt Rick to look at him. The way his blue eyes would sparkle when he looked at him, the perfect smile that would sometimes creep out of nowhere. And best of all he loved Rick to the moon and back.

Rick wanted to be so selfish. To tell Daryl he was his Rick and not to worry because even though he wasn't he _was his._

 

~

 

Rick returned home one evening to a nice surprise. The kids were gone and the table had been set up as a candlelit dinner for two. Rick looked up to Daryl in awe as he watched his beautiful fake boyfriend serve up dinner.

"What's the occasion?" Rick watched the hurt flitter across Daryl's eyes. But he quickly recovered, something he had gotten good at over time.

"It's our anniversary. Well it's mine and my Rick's anniversary anyway. Figured you wouldn't mind stepping in so I didn't have to celebrate alone,"

Daryl almost looked nervous, like he was asking his crush out for the first time.

"I'd be honoured," Rick beamed at Daryl. The other man also not being able to contain his grin.

They settled quickly into eating dinner when Rick thought that now was as good as time as any to question Daryl about something that had been lurking in the back of his mind.

"So I've noticed in this world, my partner at work isn't Shane. Then I remembered you said we hadn't spoken to him in over a year, why's that?" Daryl stopped eating abruptly, Rick could see he was trying to figure out what to say before he said it.

"I don't know how to tell you this Rick, but Judy isn't your child," Rick wasn't too sure why Daryl was telling him something he already knew and what did that have to do with Shane?

"I know that but..." Then it clicked. "Shane is my little girl's father?" He didn't want to believe it, not knowing who her father really was had made things a lot easier for him to deal with. Made it easier to accept her as his own.

"I'm sorry Rick, my Rick knew, I thought you might have done too," Daryl placed his hand over Rick's to comfort him.

"How? Why?" Rick needed answers and he needed them now.

"Lori started sleeping with Shane once you had stopped sleeping with her, once you had figured out you was gay I guess, turned to him for comfort or something,"

"He was my best friend, how could he do that? And why do we still have her?" Daryl smiled sadly.

"Once he found out he was the real dad, he took off, said he didn't want nothing to do and that you could have her," Rick wanted to shed a tear for his baby girl, abandoned by her real father. He had never been happier that he had decided to stand by Lori throughout the pregnancy.

"I think I need a drink," Rick grabbed the bottle of wine and necked it straight from the bottle. Daryl let out a little chuckle.

"Me too!" He got up and opened another bottle of wine that he too, necked straight from the bottle.

A few more bottles of wine later found Rick and Daryl quite drunk sprawled across the couch, giggling as they talked what was probably nonsense to one another. But managing to make each other laugh.

"I love you Rick," Daryl leaned over and placed a kiss to Rick's cheek. "Thanks for a great anniversary," he lay down next to Rick and snuggled into his side, placing his face in the heat of his neck.

"I love you too Daryl," Rick managed to breath out. He heard Daryl mumble a thank you as he started to place small kisses to his neck. Rick just closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensations it was sending through his body.

Soon Daryl's kisses became more heated as he planted wet open mouthed kisses up and down his neck, over his Adam's apple and along his jaw. He heard Daryl whimper slightly as he involuntarily jerked his hips forward to press his erection against Rick's leg.

Rick's own erection started to spring to life and strain against the material. He wished he could just flip Daryl over and fuck him seven ways to Sunday. But he wasn't Daryl's Rick. And he felt guilty at letting Daryl pretend that he was.

As he was processing these thoughts Daryl's hip movements had gotten more frantic, his hands moving anywhere and everywhere as long as it was Rick's skin and the kisses had turned into licks and bites.

"Daryl stop," Rick said, making Daryl cease his advances abruptly. "I'm not your Rick, Daryl," he could hear the sadness in his own voice as he said the words.

"I don't care. You're the Rick that's here with me right now, you're the Rick I might be stuck with forever, my Rick is inside of you somewhere,"

Rick couldn't argue with his logics. He was right and Rick had never been more convinced that this was it for him now. He was going to be Daryl's Rick. He was going to be in love with this man that loved him so much back, he was going to lead the perfect life he had always wanted with Daryl by his side.

Rick got up from the couch and held his hand out for Daryl to take. The smile and gleam in his eyes was nearly enough to make Rick's heart explode in his chest. He pulled him quickly taking him up to the room that was once just his.

Once inside he barely had a second to turn around before Daryl was latched back onto him, kissing, caressing, rubbing him in any way that was physically possible. And Rick lapped it all up, never having ever experienced feeling like that in his entire existence. A flood of panic quickly came over Rick. So much he had to pull himself away from the other man.

"What's wrong Rick?" Daryl said softly, his eyes darting around his face trying to figure out what was wrong.

"You and your Rick have had sex before. I've never been with a man. You already have expectations of what sex with me is going to be like. I don't know if I can compete," Daryl's face quickly relaxed which Rick couldn't understand because he was sure this was cause for a major panic.

"Rick I don't care as long as it's you, I'll take things slow, remember I was the first guy my Rick had ever been with too," Rick just nodded, he felt only slightly better, but it was enough to make him want to continue.

Daryl went back to kissing Rick, only this time is was more loving and sweet. His hands caressing Rick's face then running through his curls. Rick relaxed straight into it, and even though he was afraid of the sex, just stood there kissing with Daryl felt like the most natural thing in the world. Like he had always been there with him.

Daryl slipped his own shirt off, then followed by Rick's. He moved down to kiss all over Rick's bare chest, ghosting over his sensitive nipples before licking and nibbling at each one causing a small moan to escape from Rick's throat.

Smiling, Daryl continued down Rick's body not even stopping at the waistband of his jeans, instead mouthing over the material pulling even more moans from the man stood over him. Rick's hands flew into Daryl's hair, running through the locks and slightly tugging every time Daryl hit a sweet spot.

Quickly his jeans were stripped from his body and Daryl took no time in slipping Rick's full hard erection past his lips to the back of his throat, moaning around the shaft every time he managed to make Rick moan. He licked and swirled his tongue in all the right places, taking Rick in as far as he could go.

Rick was sure his legs were going to give in, he had never been on the receiving end of a blow job this good before, and he couldn't help sometimes jerking his hips forward and fucking Daryl's hot mouth. And every time Daryl moaned around his length he was sure he had mini orgasms.

Daryl popped of the end off Rick's dick planting kisses all over as he worked his way back up to be level with Rick's face, pulling him in for a long hard kiss.

"Just relax Rick, you can fuck me, you'll be fine," Rick just pushed Daryl down to the bed, quickly ripping off his pants. As Daryl's erection sprang free, he looked over the man laid out before him. If he had thought Daryl was beautiful before, he was mistaken because Daryl looking up at him, completely naked, eyes half lidded with lust, lips and cheeks slightly pink from sucking him off, this was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"God Daryl, you're gorgeous," Rick whispered as he moved to straddle Daryl's thighs. Daryl's cheeks became slightly more tinted from the compliment, but he soon recovered as Rick place one hand on his cock, slowly pumping the length as he placed two fingers in Daryl's mouth, silently requesting him to suck. Daryl obliged happily, treating his fingers as an ice pop on a hot day that he couldn't get enough off.

Slowly Rick removed his fingers, bringing them down to Daryl's entrance, running his fingers around the edges. He placed a kiss to Daryl's lips, then pushed the first finger in, slowly, ensuring he was causing Daryl only pleasure and never pain. When Daryl only continued to moan he added his second finger, massaging the bundle of nerves deep within him, but also scissoring to prepare for Rick's cock.

"I'm ready Rick, please, now," Daryl moaned out, sounding desperate. But Rick wasn't done. He disappeared between Daryl's legs and before Daryl could even begin to think what Rick was doing he felt the swipe of something hot and wet cross his puckered hole. Daryl's entire body shuddered with excitement and then Daryl was being fucked by Rick's tongue. Rick himself didn't think he could be any more turned on but after hearing the sounds Daryl was making from being impaled on his tongue, he felt his erection strain to rock solid hard.

Not being able to take it anymore Rick lined his cock up with Daryl's hole, all he wanted was to relentlessly thrust hard and fast but as he looked down at Daryl he felt his heart swell again, the other man looking up at him with so much love and adoration.

Rick pushed the tip in and leaned his body over Daryl as he continued to get it all the way in. As he let Daryl adjust he peppered his lovers face in small kisses not being able to stop himself from letting the words "I love you" spill from his mouth. But Daryl only reciprocated, seemingly all forgotten that this wasn't the real Rick he had fallen in love with.

Once he was all the way in he started a rhythm, angling at just the correct point to be continuously hitting Daryl's sweet spot. The moans and noises that were coming from both men were loud and couldn't be helped, not even considering the children in the house.

But everything felt too good and Rick didn't think he could last much longer, but it seemed that neither could Daryl, soon his cock was spurting with hot white cum without even touching his own erection. As Daryl came he clenched around Rick's length making Rick cry out as he came inside Daryl.

Rick almost passed out on top of Daryl, his legs had turned to jelly and he couldn't have been more grateful in that moment for Daryl pulling down into the bed with him.

The two men snuggled up as close as they could to one another, not even bothering to clean up after themselves. At that moment Rick didn't think anything could have separated him from Daryl's side. They continued to place lazy kisses all over one another until they finally got too tired to continue.

"Rick, you are mine, please just be my Rick," Daryl pleaded, the tiredness evident in his voice.

"I could never not be," Rick whispered back to him, stroking his hair lovingly, willing the man to go to sleep. Soon after Rick fell into the best night sleep he'd had in a long time.

 

~

 

When Rick woke up the following morning the bed was empty. He smiled as he remembered the night before, just how perfect it had been, how perfect Daryl was. He got up, slipping into some sweats, skipping his regular morning shower, desperate to get downstairs to see his boyfriend and kids.

When Rick entered the kitchen it was empty. He looked out the window to see if maybe Daryl had taken them out for breakfast and let Rick have a lie in. When he didn't see Daryl's car, he smiled, he decided to go and take his shower so that he smelt good for Daryl when he returned. But as he turned to leave the kitchen his two children entered it.

Neither child saying a word they sat at the breakfast table.

"Daddy, where's breakfast?" Judith asked looking puzzled. Rick himself was beginning to get confused, where had Daryl gone?

But then he saw it, he saw the sad and disappointed look in his son's face. The same look he had before Daryl had arrived. Rick knew his voice was going to crack, but he tried to speak anyway.

"Where's Daryl?" His voice did indeed break causing him to wince at how pathetic he sounded. Both children looked up at him like he had grown a second head.

"Who's Daryl?" Carl asked, not unkindly, but with no emotion at all.

"He's my... My..." But Rick couldn't finish that sentence. Clearly his kids had no idea who he was talking about and after five years this was it. This was his breaking point.

Tears began to stream down his face as the realisation hit him that he was back in his world and that Daryl was with his real Rick. He crashed to the floor not knowing what else to do, not being able to hold back the sobs that were escaping his body. His was finally mourning, but not the loss of his wife or the loss of his bond with his son, but the loss of Daryl.

He had seen what it was like to be truly happy, to experience his true love and making love with all his passion and soul.

And now it was gone. Ripped away as quickly as it had been handed to him. He knew he needed to get up off the floor but he couldn't he wanted to scream and break something, he wanted to punch a hole in the wall. He managed to pull himself up enough to go through to the living room. It no longer held the pictures of his and Daryl's happy faces. Just empty spaces.

He crashed again, into the couch, holding his head in his hands as the sobs racked through his body.

He heard the small shuffles of Carl and Judith edging into the room. He knew he was scaring them. But he didn't know what else he could do. He just needed Daryl to tell him it was all going to be okay.

"Dad, please don't cry, it's okay," he heard Carl whispering from the edge of the room. He could hear Judith's small sniffles, crying at the sight of her father finally losing it.

He stood quickly and walked over to Carl. He face was still streaming with tears and he could see them collecting in his son's eyes as well. He pulled him in close to his chest squeezing tightly. And right now he didn't care if Carl hated him or blamed him for his mother's death. He just needed him. Carl hugged back at full force, finally letting his own tears escape as he pulled his little sister into the mix. 

Rick looked down at Judith. Shane's biological daughter. He squeezed her tightly thinking to himself how she will always be his and Daryl's. Not Shane's.

Once all three had managed to calm down Rick decided that they all deserved a day off. He called in sick to work and told the schools that the kids had caught a bug.

Rick had gone and got blankets and loads of junk food and they all piled onto the two seater couch watching bad movies and talking about anything and everything. Rick could have died happy in that moment. To see Carl finally resemble something close to happy was a very proud moment.

"Listen Carl, I'm so sorry about everything. I should have tried harder to make things better with you. I just thought if I gave you your space and didn't push you, you would eventually come around on your own terms. And I'm so sorry because I should never have pushed you away like that. We needed each other," Rick pulled him close, hanging on like he was going to disappear as Daryl had.

"I think it's finally time just to move on dad, we will be okay, we have to be," Rick smiled and planted a kiss to the top of his son's head.

 

~

 

Even though Rick was happy to have his son back and to have happy noise filling his once silent home, he was still missing Daryl. Missing him so badly that sometimes he couldn't help but let a tear of sadness slip from his eyes, only quickly to be wiped away and whisper to himself to pull it together.  

Going back to work that next day had been the hardest thing to do. In this world he had never had his confrontation with Shane. He was still his partner for patrol and Rick didn't think he could handle it. Not after everything that followed Daryl revealing the information to him.

Rick knew what he had to do. Get it over and done with. Do it quickly like ripping off a bandaid. So the second he got to work he stalked straight over to Shane's desk. Shane looked up and smiled a hello at Rick, but quickly started to look panicked from seeing the look on Rick's face. Rick was taking no shit today.

"So are you gonna come clean and tell me or are you going to make me say it?" Rick spat at him. He wasn't too sure he could say it.

"I don't know what you mean man?" Shane offered but Rick could see straight through which only angered him more. He was going to have to say it.

"I mean about you fucking my wife behind my back! I mean about getting her pregnant with a little innocent girl!" Rick was practically screaming. His fists were scrunched into tight balls at his sides.

"Judith?" Shane's voice had gone weak and pathetic, and he sighed as he rubbed his head, knowing he wasn't going to be able to talk his way out of this. "I'm so sorry Rick. No matter if she is mine, she isn't, she's yours!"

Rick knew this, he knew there was no chance in hell that Judy was anyone else but his.

"I suggest you find a new partner," was all Rick could muster without becoming physical and aggressive. He wasn't doing this for him, for the betrayal of friendship. If he had known when Lori was still alive he would have used it as an excuse to leave. But she wasn't here now, but his little girl still was, and she never asked for any of it.

That day at work went painfully slow as did the rest following over the next few weeks. Rick wasn't sure if it was because he was depressed that every living minute was so damn difficult to take or if it was just because he felt empty again. A shell of a man.

Rick wasn't even sure himself how long it had been since he had been back to his regular life, a month, maybe two?

Rick had an early finish one day and decided he would walk round to Judy's school to pick her up, then take her for a play in the park. He felt it would perk him up, he knew Judith would be ecstatic to see him and it was rare he got to spend moments like this with her. It was the only downside to his job.

As her school bell rang and children started to pour out he could see his little girl looking around for carol, her face becoming quite concerned when she wasn't there to pick her up. Rick smiled and decided to sneak up on her.

"Looking for someone?"

Judith quickly snapped around jumping up into her father's arms shouting excitedly as she had not been expecting him. He hugged and kissed her then they set off to the park.

Upon arrival Judith ran off to play on different things with the local kids, Rick deciding he would sit on the bench closest to her so he could keep an eye without being the uncool dad who was over protective.

Rick noticed after a while, a young boy roughly Judy's age join the children in their play. He then noticed that someone had sat down on the bench next to him. Scared it was another single mother attempting to hit on him he kept his gaze straight ahead, only to go into shock when the other person spoke.

"Which one is yours?"

The voice was deep and gruff, belonging to a man, and Rick couldn't help but recognise the sweet sound anywhere.

He turned his head slowly to face the guy next to him wearing Daryl's face. He was sure he must have looked stupid but he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Sorry?" Rick hadn't actually heard what Daryl had said, he had just heard it was him. The most beautiful man he had ever seen sat with him once again. The man who had made him feel again and feel things he never thought he could.

Rick suddenly felt very dizzy. Was Daryl even really here? Or was this another sick joke where he would get ripped away from him again?

"I said which one is yours? I'm assuming one of the kids is yours or you've got a strange and possibly illegal hobby," Daryl joked.

"The little girl with the blonde hair, her names Judith, what about you?" Daryl smiled at him, seemingly happy that Rick had engaged in the conversation with him.

"That little boy with motorbike on his shirt. He's not really mine though, my brothers, I just look after him sometimes," Daryl was still smiling, shooting small glances over at Rick.

"Wanna know a secret? She's not really mine either. My best friend fucked my wife, I only just found out recently she's his and not mine," Rick would have never have shared that information with anybody. But Daryl already knew right? It was then that Rick saw Daryl's smile falter.

"So you're married?" Daryl asked, not as enthusiastic about the conversation as he had previously been. Rick could have laughed, he also could have just kissed him there and then.

"No widowed,"

"Ah man, I'm sorry that sucks," Rick could see that Daryl was mentally kicking himself. He knew this had to be his Daryl, not the one from the world he had been in before, but the Daryl that had always been waiting for him in this one.

"Do you, maybe, want to go get a coffee sometime?" Rick asked, as confident as he could be. The smile returned on Daryl's face tenfold. He started to chew nervously on his fingers. Rick was sure he just fell in love all over again.

"I would like that, I'm Daryl by the way,"

"I'm Rick," Rick stuck out his hand out for Daryl to shake. Daryl took it with a small squeeze to end. "I'd better take Judy home, how about tomorrow at 7 at the coffee house?" Rick stood indicating with his hand for Judith to come over.

"That's perfect, it's a date," Daryl said with a wink. Rick just smiled down at Daryl's perfect face.

"It most definitely is a date,"


End file.
